Method of forming an industrial oven wall construction



July 29, 1969 J. ,JANECEK I 3,457,629

METHOD OF FORMING AN INDUSTRIAL OVEN WALL CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Dec. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- LOU/6 J. JAVA 65K ATTOR/VIYJ July 29, 1969 L. J. JANECEK 3,457,529

METHOD OF FORMING AN INDUSTRIAL OVEN WALL CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Dec. 21. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent U.S. Cl. 29455 2 Claims This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 246,623, filed Dec. 21, 1962, now Patent No. 3,303,619.

This invention relates to a method of forming industrial oven Wall construction.

In the manufacture of industrial ovens, a major problem is the permeation of vapor through the oven wall.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method of forming an improved oven wall construction which is vapor impermeable.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of forming a novel oven wall construction which is relatively inexpensive utilizing prefabricated sheet metal panels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of providing a vapor impervious joint in an oven wall construction.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of providing a vapor impervious joint.

Basically, the invention comprises utilizing prefabricated sheet metal panels which have a flange along one side edge thereof and a reversely bent portion along the other side edge thereof which interengages the flange of the adjacent panel. In the novel oven wall construction, an inner wall is produced with such interengaging panels with the joint extending outwardly. The interengaging joints of the inner wall are then longitudinally crimped between rollers which are caused to travel along the length thereof on the wall and thereby provide the vapor impervious joint. The crimping is achieved by a novel apparatus which engages the joint and travels along the joint to crimp the joint. Insulating material is then provided along the outer surface of the inner wall and an outer wall of similar interengaging panels is erected.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a corner of an industrial oven embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the interengaging panels that are used.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the vapor impervious joint formed in the oven wall in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of an apparatus taken along the line 44 in FIG. 5 for providing the vapor impervious joint showing the apparatus in operative position.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, the oven embodies an oven wall construction which includes an inner wall 11, an outer wall 12 and insulating material 13 interposed between the inner and outer walls 11, 12.

The inner and outer walls 11, 12 are formed of identical interengaging sheet metal panels 14 each of which includes a central portion 15 which is generally flat and of uniform width throughout, a flange 16 bent at a right angle from the plane of the portion 15 along one longitudinal side edge of the panel 14 and a reversely bent portion 17 bent in the same direction as the flange 16 along the other longitudinal side edge of the portion 14. The reversely bent portion 17 includes an outwardly extending flange 18 and a spaced inwardly extending flange 19 defining a space 20 into which the flange 16 of the adjacent panel extends (FIG. 2).

In assembling the oven wall, the inner wall 11 is first erected with the portions of the joint interengaging, as shown in FIG. 2, the insulating material 13 is then applied to the outer surface of the inner wall 11 and the outer wall 12 is then erected in position. It should be understood that braces are provided along the wall as may be required. This is shown, for example, at 21, 22 in FIG. 1.

Before the insulation 13 is applied and the outer wall 12 is erected, the joints of the inner wall as defined by the interengaging flange 16 and reversely bent portions 17 are continuously longitudinally crirnped intermediate their edges as at 23 (FIG. 3). This cold Works the material and provides a vapor impervious joint. The crimping is achieved by the use of crimping rolls which have complementary surfaces in order to deform the material.

As shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus 25 for performing the crimping action is situ on the oven wall comprises complementary rolls 26, 27. Roll 26 includes an annular bead 27a and roll 27 includes a complementary groove 28. The rolls 26, 27 are driven in opposite directions and thereby cause the apparatus 25 to travel along the joint and crimp the joint.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, apparatus 25 comprises a hollow frame 29. A shaft 30 is journalled in the frame 29 and roll 26 is fixed on the lower end thereof. A shaft 31 is also mounted in the frame 29. As shown, the shaft 31 is journalled in an upper journal 32 and a lower journal 33. The upper journal 32 is, in turn, held in position by adjustable screws 34, 35 which engage conical depressions 36, 37 in the journal 32 to pivot shaft 31 in the frame.

The shafts 30, 31 are driven from an electric motor 38. The shaft 39 of the electric motor is connected to an intermediate shaft 40 through sprockets 41, 42 and a chain 43. The intermediate shaft 40 is coupled to the shaft 31 by a gear 44 on the intermediate shaft 40 which meshes with a gear 46 on the shaft 31. Gear 46 on the shaft 31, in turn, meshes with a gear on the shaft 30.

In order to guide the movement of the apparatus 25 along the joint, guide rollers 47 are mounted on brackets 48 fixed on the ends of the frame 29. The guide rollers are provided with grooves 47 which engage the peak or crest of the joint and guide the apparatus along the joint. Each bracket 48 is provided with a slot 48a through which a screw 49 extends into frame 29 so that each roller is vertically adjustable. The brackets are preferably adjusted such that the angle of the axes of the shafts 30, 31 are inclined such that the rolls 26, 27 tend to travel inwardly toward the plane of the oven wall. This assists the apparatus in retaining the grip on the joint when it is used on a vertical as contrasted to a horizontal wall of the oven.

The apparatus is also preferably provided with a handle 50 which facilitates the placing of the apparatus into and out of position.

A spring loaded pressure screw assembly 51 is threaded into frame 29 and engages the lower journal 33 of shaft 31 to yieldingly urge the roll 27 against roll 26. As shown in FIG. 4, screw assembly 51 comprises a housing 52 having a portion 53 threaded into frame 29. A pressure member 54 is mounted within portion 53 and has a collar 55 thereon. A spring 56 is compressed between collar 55 and housing 52. By this arrangement, if rollers 26, 27 encounter any discontinuity along flange 16 and portion 17, the rollers will pass over without breakage or bending of the apparatus.

When it is desired to use the apparatus 25, it is brought into position and then the threaded shaft 31 is rotated to bring the roll 27 inwardly toward the roll 26. As previously pointed out, the guide rollers are adjusted relative to the frame 29 preferably such that the planes of the rolls 26, 27 extend downwardly toward the plane of the oven wall slightly in the direction of movement of the apparatus so that the rolls 26, 27, in effect, tend to dig in.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a novel oven wall construction, a novel method and apparatus for making the oven wall construction.

It can be appreciated that although th invention has particular utility when applied to an oven wall, it is also used in other wall constructions. It is believed that a novel feature of the invention is the provision of a wall by the use of prefabricated sheet metal panels and the making of the impervious joint in situ after the wall is erected.

I claim: 1

1. The method of forming a vapor impermeable wall construction which comprises assembling first an inner wall of sheet metal panels,

each panel having a central portion, a continuous flange extending along one side edge thereof and a continuous re-entrant bent portion extending along the other side edge thereof into which the flange of the the adjacent panel extends to form a joint on the outer surface of the inner wall,

continuously longitudinally crimping the re-entrant portions of the joints of said inner wall in place to cold work the joint and thereby provide a vapor impervious joint,

thereafter providing insulating material over the joints and adjacent the outer surface of the inner wall, and thereafter assembling an outer wall with panels of similar construction to the inner wall.

2. The method of forming a vapor impermeable wall construction which comprises assembling first and inner wall of sheet metal panels,

each panel having a central portion,

a continuous flange extending along one side edge there of and a continuous re-entrant bent portion extending along the other side edge thereof into which the flange of the adjacent panel extends to form a joint on the outer surface of the inner wall,

continuously longitudinally crimping the re-entrant portions of the joints of said inner wall in place by clamping the joint between complementary rolls and rotating the rolls to cold work the joint and thereby provide a vapor impervious joint, thereafter providing insulating material over the joints and adjacent the outer surface of the inner wall, and thereafter assembling an outer wall with panels of similar construction to the inner Wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,720 1/1926 Baker 52-405 X 1,995,364 3/1935 Shatkin 29-505 2,181,074 11/1939 Scott 52-404 2,266,593 12/1941 Emmons 29-505 3,003,902 10/1961 McDuff 29-455 X 3,062,337 11/1962 Zittle 52404 3,258,890 7/1966 Dirkse 52309 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,110 11/1928 Australia.

CHARLIE T. MOON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29-514, 515 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING A VAPOR IMPERMEABLE WALL CONSTRUCTION WHICH COMPRISES ASSEMBLING FIRST AN INNER WALL OF SHEET METAL PANELS, EACH PANEL HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION, A CONTINUOUS FLANGE EXTENDING ALONG ONE SIDE EDGE THEREOF AND A CONTINUOUS RE-ENTRANT BENT PORTION EXTENDING ALONG THE OTHER SIDE EDGE THEREOF INTO WHICH THE FLANGE OF THE THE ADJACENT PANEL EXTENDS TO FORM A JOINT ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE INNER WALL, 